Imidazole is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry as a building block for synthesizing drugs, particularly antifungal agents like ketoconazole and clotrimazole. It plays a key role in the development of histamine-based compounds due to its structural similarity to the natural histidine side chain, making it valuable in medicinal chemistry for designing enzyme inhibitors and receptor antagonists.

In biochemical research, imidazole is commonly used as a buffer in biological and biochemical assays, especially in protein purification. It is a critical component in nickel-affinity chromatography, where it elutes His-tagged proteins by competing with histidine residues for binding to nickel ions.

Imidazole derivatives are also used in the manufacture of agrochemicals, including fungicides and pesticides, due to their ability to interfere with fungal cell membranes and enzyme systems. Additionally, it finds use in the synthesis of ionic liquids and as a corrosion inhibitor in industrial systems.

Its versatility in coordination chemistry makes it useful in catalysis, particularly in organometallic complexes used in synthetic processes. Imidazole can also serve as a curing agent or additive in resins and polymers to enhance thermal and moisture resistance, and derivatives are incorporated into personal care products like creams for antifungal properties.